In a salute to the secular spirit of India, the villagers of Ghalib Ran Singh Waal, which has a majority of Sikhs and Hindus, have built a mosque for their Muslim neighbours in the village. This would have been a cherished gesture at any time but is especially heartwarming as it was finished before the onset of Ramzan.

"Our long cherished demand has been fulfilled with the joint efforts of villagers. It's a beautiful mosque. We will be able to pray here during the holy month, and it is an Eid gift for us," said Liaqat Ali, a local villager told The Times of India.

"It's so touching, and a big gesture of brotherhood on the part of villagers, that they came forward to help us in the construction of Hazrat Abu Bakar mosque in the village. This was a long pending demand of our community members in the village. Now, we will be able to pray in the village in this mosque," added Shahi Imaam Punjab, Maulana Habib Ur Rehman Saani Ludhianvi.

Village sarpanch Jagdeep Kaur said that the decision to build the mosque was approved way back in 1998 but could only be started on 2nd May 2016 following the efforts of the villagers.

With a population of about 1,300, the village has around 700 Sikhs, 200 Hindus, and 150 Muslims. Most of the Muslims had settled in the village after partition, reports TOI.

"We want to tell those fighting in the name of religion that instead of dividing, they should work to unite human beings. Our village is a perfect example of how members of various communities can come together in a peaceful manner, and respect each other's faith," said Om Kumar, a trader from the village which is a true example of what India truly stand for - harmony, diversity and the power of brotherhood.